The present invention pertains to a bias-assisted sign mounting system. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a pivotal, two-position sign mounting system that uses a bias assist to maintain the sign in an opened or closed position.
Signs, and more particularly, point of purchase sign or display systems can, when properly designed, be tremendously effective marketing tools. These systems have become widely popular in all manners of retail trade.
In one common use, signs are mounted to shelving systems that permit loading of pallets and palletized items onto the stocking shelves. These are commonly referred to as pallet racks. These arrangements permit the storage of large items and large amounts of items on each of the shelves. However, these shelves do not typically lend themselves to the mounting of point-of-purchase displays or signs thereon.
Many known signs are permanently or semi-permanently affixed to the shelves and are hung above or below the shelving systems. While many of these signs work quite well to direct the consumer""s attention to the particular products, they do not permit ready access to the shelves to, for example, restock the shelves or retrieve items from the shelves. This, of course, is particularly true of those signs that are permanently or semi-permanently affixed to the shelves.
Known mounting systems include those disclosed in Padiak et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,633, entitled xe2x80x9cPivotal, Two-Position Locking Sign Mounting Systemxe2x80x9d and Conway et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,420, entitled xe2x80x9cUniversal Sign Mounting Devicexe2x80x9d, both of which are commonly assigned with the present application. These systems function well, however, they require some locking arrangement to maintain the sign in a storage (e.g., open) or display (e.g., closed) position. The aforementioned Padiak et al. and Conway et al. patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Accordingly there exists a need for a point-of-purchase display or sign mounting system that is used to position a sign in a particular, desired orientation and position, and that is effective for point-of-purchase marketing. Desirably such a system permits fully rotating or pivoting the sign out of the way from a display position to a storage position, to restock the shelf over which the sign is located. Such a mounting system requires minimal hardware to mount the sign to an associated shelving system and further requires no additional hardware to move or pivot the sign from the display position to the storage position. Most desirably, such a system uses a biasing element to assist in moving and maintaining the sign in both the closed and opened positions, with a single biasing element.
A biased-assisted sign mounting system is used for mounting an associated sign to an associated structure. The mounting system includes a mount portion configured for attaching to the structure, an arm mounted to the mount portion and having a pivot portion defining a pivot axis about the mount portion, and a biasing element operably connected to the mount portion and to the arm at their respective biasing element securing portions. The mounting system uses the tendency of a springs to return to a least or less stressed state to maintain the sign in a first closed or second open position.
In one embodiment, the system is a tension-biased system in which a tension biasing element is operably connected to the mount portion and to the arm at their respective biasing element securing portions. The arm is secured into the first and second positions by the biasing element tending to a less tensioned state. When the arm is moved between the first and second positions, the biasing element traverses a path crossing the pivot axis that defines a maximum state of tension. In the first and second positions, the biasing element is in a state of tension less than the maximum state of tension.
In a current embodiment, the biasing element is a coil spring. The first position is a closed position and the second position is an open position. The open and closed positions are 180xc2x0 from one another by rotation of the arm.
The mounting portion can include an upper stop surface configured for engagement with a lip formed on the arm to prevent over-rotation of the arm beyond the open position. The mounting portion can also include a lower stop surface for engagement with the arm to prevent over-rotation of the arm beyond the closed position.
In one embodiment, the mount includes a body have first and second spaced apart outwardly extending flanges. The arm also includes a pair of spaced apart flanges, one each associated with a respective mount flange. In this configuration, the biasing element is disposed between the respective pairs of flanges. The mount includes a pair of spaced apart, collinear pivot pins. One pin is associated with a respective pair of flanges.
An alternate embodiment is a compression-biased mounting system. In such a system the mount portion includes a biasing element capturing portion and the arm includes a camming surface spaced from the pivot axis. The compression biasing element is disposed between the mount portion and the arm at their respective biasing element capturing portions. When the arm is moved between the first and second positions, the biasing element is compressed into a compressed state by the camming portion of the arm which portion, when compressed against the biasing element, defines a maximum compressed state. In the first and second positions, the biasing element is in a state of compression less than the maximum compressed state.
Preferably, the mount defines a cavity in which the biasing element is disposed. The arm can include a cam follower disposed between the camming surface and the biasing element. The first position is a closed position and the second position is an open position. The open and closed positions are 180xc2x0 from one another by rotation of the arm.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims.